A Change is Afoot

August 8, 2017

Dear Eyeballers,

Since we joined forces with Surfline in September 2015 we’ve been busy working behind the scenes to build a better service for UK surfers – one that arms you with the tools to get in the water more often.

In that time we have installed 25 new HD webcams, from Sennen to Boscombe, enlisted the skills of regional expert human forecasters and most excitingly embarked on a mammoth development project to reimagine the Surfline website and mobile app.

The new site will offer a personalised experience based on geo-location and preferences, making it easier to get the content you want to see, quicker.

The new design is just the start of it; new forecasting tools are where things start to get really exciting. Our LOLA forecast model now takes real-time human reports into account when calculating each forecast. By combining the two it means that our forecasts are tweaked and honed every single day, giving you the most accurate picture of what lies ahead.

But we won’t forget our roots: the eyeball report. Eyeball was built on providing just that, calling upon local knowledge to know when winds are due to drop or swell set to pulse. Now, looking beyond North Devon, we’ve handpicked a crew of experts from key UK locations who hold the key to decoding conditions at their local spots. Myself and the rest of the UK team will now provide AM and PM forecast updates, so you never miss another evening glass-off.

By investing in both technology and people we’re building a product for UK surfers that I truly believe will be hard to beat. Because we are the only site in the UK that provides trained human reporting and forecasting, our near-term and long-term predictions will be the most accurate out there.

I could talk for hours about the new site and forecasting tools, but better than that you can check out a beta version of the new Surfline website here – new.surfline.com

Over the next month or so we’ll be asking for your feedback on the new Surfline website, during which time the Eyeball website will begin to transition to the new Surfline platform. Having spent many hours testing the new site in recent months I’m sure that it will provide you with more tools to get you surfing than Eyeball ever could, but we want to hear your say along the way to make sure you agree!

I’ll continue to keep my finger on the pulse of conditions in North Devon and provide a human report and forecast twice a day, which you can pick up on both Surfline desktop and mobile app. As we start a new chapter I invite you to join me in looking forward to exciting times ahead and to jump on board for the ride – my continued quest to find you a cleaner, more manageable wave.